Noncircular can double seaming machine



NOV. 24, 1936. GUENTHER 2,062,024

NONCIRCULAR CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l l N V E N T OR I fiimrl 6011mm? jaw 7KQMW6 A TTQR/VEY Nov. 24, 1936. H, L, GUENTHER NONCIRCULAR CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VEN TOR @EWBYL. UUENTJYIB B y A TTORNE Y Nov. 24, 1936. H. GUENTHER NONCIRCULAR CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 %(.M :1 TTQRNE Y Nov. 24, 1936. H, GUENTHER 2,062,024

NONCIRCUL AR CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 4a a f 5 4 49 l9 Z a 34 Q 7 5 40 H 40 4.3 I j 4 9 44 I 4 42 2a 3 I n u 6 vii hmfimw ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNiTED STATES NONCIRCULAR CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE Henry L. Guenther, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 28,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to can making machinery and particularly pertains to a machine for applying sanitary caps to cans of non-circular section. In the canning industry it is common practice to can products in a type of can known as sanitary cans. These cans are characterized by the fact that the bottom and cap are secured in position by an interlocking double seam which hermetically secures the can end to the can body without the use of solder. Cans of this type most commonly employed are cans of circular section due to the fact that seaming rollers may more readily travel around the flange of the can in a circular path of travel in forming the seam. Such machines are entirely automatic in their operation, both as to can and cap feed and as to the various seaming operations. It has been difflcult, however, to obtain a double seaming machine which would act automatically in forming a lock seam between the can body and a can end in which the can body is of non-circular section. This is particularly for the reason that it is difiicult to provide a seaming roll mechanism which would uniformly roll the seam along a noncircular path of travel and would uniformly work the metal of the seaming parts and close the seam satisfactorily. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an automatic double seaming machine which will act upon the seam elements of a non-circular can and its cap and which will form a tight and leakproof seam while acting upon said elements,

The present invention contemplates the provision of can feed means and cap feeding means by which cans and caps are delivered to a double seaming station and at which station seaming rolls act automatically to follow a course of a travel agreeing with the configuration of the perimeter of the mouth of the can and to cause the seaming operations to automatically and successively take place in curling the seam members of the can body and the can end and in thereafter applying pressure to form a completely tight lock seam.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the double seaming machine with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is a View in front elevation showing the machine disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section through the machine as seen in side elevation disclosing the drive mechanism for the double seaming head and the can feed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in plan showing the 1934, Serial No. 717,726

seaming head and its operating mechanism as viewed in a horizontal plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows associated with that line.

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section showing the lower driving mechanism as seen on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a View in diagram indicating the developed circumferential length of the roller actuating cam.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section and elevation showing the manner in which the upper chuck fits within the cap and mouth of a can to be seamed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings l0 indicates the base of a double seaming ma-' chine having an upright II extending vertically therefrom and providing an overhanging arm I 2 for a drive shaft l3. Adjustably mounted with relation to the upright I I is a seaming head unit M which may be vertically moved in a manner to be hereinafter explained to make it possible for the machine to be readily adjusted to accommodate cans of various heighths. The base I0 is provided with a lower chuck l5 to receive a can to be seamed, the can having been delivered to this chuck by a star wheel I6 formed with can receiving recesses or pockets ll at equally spaced points around its periphery. In vertical alignment with the chuck l5 and disposed in a plane above the upper face of the star wheel I6 is a group of seaming rollers. These rollers as shown in Fig. 4 are in pairs, the rollers of one pair being designated by the numeral l8 and the rollers of the other pair being designated by the numeral IS. The pair of rollers I8 are designed to form the first seaming operation between the can and its cap, which operation is that of curling the marginal flange of a cap over and under the marginal flange of the mouth of the can. The set of rollers l9 are designed to perform the second double seaming operation by which the curled flanges of a. can and cap are compressed with relation to each other and the body of the can to form the usual lock double seam of a sanitary can. The double seaming head which includes the two sets of rollers is mounted to rotate upon a vertical axis longitudinally aligned with the rotating axis of the chuck it and the central rotating axis of a non-circular can which is supported on the chuck l5 during a double seaming operation. It will be evident that since the peripheral edge of the cap of the can to be acted upon is non-circular h t means must be provided to insure that the seaming rolls will pursue paths of travel substantially agreeing with the contour of the flange of the can and its cap and that the rolls will apply pressure to the flanging members of the can and cap in a manner to insure that metal of the can and cap will be uniformly worked and that the resulting seam will be properly rolled and compressed.

The present invention is particularly conoerned with the mechanism of the seaming machine by which the cans will be automatically fed to the machine and will thereafter be acted upon to automatically form a double seam between a can and its cap irrespective of the sectional configuration of the can. The head by which this seaming operation is accomplished comprises a central tubular mandrel 29 at the lower end of which a chuck plate 2| is mounted. This chuck plate is of a peripheral configuration to fit snugly within the depressed central. portion of a can cap 22 which cap is intended to seat over the mouth of a can 23. Vertically reciprocating within the tubular mandrel is a stripper rod 24 by which the can cap may be loosened from the chuck plate 2| after the seaming operation. The tubular mandrel 20 extends downwardly through a sleeve 25 which sleeve is fitted at its upper end with a gear 26 for driving the same. The lower end of the sleeve 25 carries a plate 21 which rotates with it around the axis of the tubular mandrel 29. A set of guide ways 28 are secured to the under face of this plate and are disposed at right angles to each other and in pairs diametrically disposed with relation to the rotating axis of the seaming head. These guide rails provide T-slots in which T-shaped sliding or roller supporting blocks 29 are mounted for sliding movement along paths of travel radial to the rotating axis of the seaming head. The T-shaped sliding blocks 29 are each formed at their inner ends with a bearing 30 to receive the spindlev 3| of one of the seaming rolls l8 and H). An car 32 is formed on each of the sliding blocks 29 and receives a pin 33. This pin is connected with a shackle34 which carries a pin 35. The pins 35 also pass through the lower free ends of. the, suspending arms 36. In Fig, 3 it will be seen that there are two sets of suspending arms and that thesearms are associated with the mechanism. concerned with the set of seaming rollers I8. By reference to Fig. 2, of the drawings it will be seen that a shorter set of suspending arms 31 is provided which is associated with the seaming mechanism of seaming rolls l9. The pins 35 connect with outer shackles 38, the outer ends of which are provided with pivot pins 39 secured to cam roller blocks 40, which blocks are formed with a square bar 4| reciprocating horizontally in a square opening 42 of the ff-shaped bl ocks 29. The cam blocks are provided one for each of the T-blocks. Each of the cam blockscarries a shackle bolt 43 to which the shackle pin 39 is pivotally connected. This bolt passes through an ear 44 on the cam block and permits horizontal and longitudinal adjustment of the bolt and thus horizontal adjustment of the pin 39 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. Each of the cam blocks is provided with a vertical spindle 45 which carries a cam roller 46. The cam rollers extend in a cam track 41 of a cam structure 48. The track is defined by parallel rails 49 and 50 which are spaced from each other and between and along which said cam rollers move. The configuration of the track 41 is determined by the sectional contour of the cam and cap and thus insures that the double seaming rollers I8 and I9 will properly contact with the portions of the can and cap to be seamed and will properly curl and finish the seam.

The cam structure 48 is rigidly secured to the machine and is disposed in a horizontal plane above the plane of the seaming rollers. The inner edge of the cam structure is secured to housing member 5| by a cap screw 52 and the outer edge is secured to a bracket 53 by a cap screw 54. The bracket 53 extends upwardly and is fastened to a gear housing 55 by a bolt 56 which passes through a slotted opening 51 in a lug on the housing 55. It will be understood that while the same seaming head may be used with cans of different sizes and configuration that it is possible to readily adapt the machine for different sizes and shapes of cans by interchanging the cam track structure 48, and these may be readily removed by loosening the cap screws 52 and 54 when desired. The housing 55 carries a depending bearing sleeve 58 upon which is mounted an upper cam drum 59. This drum hasa cam groove 60 in its outer face and receives cam rollers 6|, one of which is associated with each of the operating levers 36 by means of a hanger 62. It will therefore be seen that as the cam rollers 6| travel along the cam groove il the rolls will move vertically and will simultaneously raise and lower the suspending arms 35. These rolls are mounted on pins 63 which are carried directly in a ring member 64 circumscribing the cam 59 and to which the members 62 are rigidly fastened. The ring is formed at its opposite side with bosses 65 through which guide standards 66 extend. These standards are disposed upon opposite sides of the ring and are fixed at their lower ends in plate 21. In this manner the ring 64 may move vertically without getting out oi horizontal alignment, and will at the same time insure that the ring may move bodily around the cam and that the cam rollers ti will travel along the cam groove 60 in the manner and for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The supporting levers 31 are mounted upon pivot pins 6'! which are carried by arms 68 formed as a part of a ring 69 which is disposed in an encircling position around the lower portion of the cam drum 59. This ring 69 carries a pair of cam rollers 10 which engage the cam groove H which is the second operation double seaming groove. The developed length of the cam 59 is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings where it will be seen that cam grooves 60 and TI are each formed with a rise which will cause the levers associated with cam rollers 19 to move vertically and tend to move the shackle members 34 and 38 with relation to each other and toward a straight line. The ring 69 is mounted to move vertically on the standards 66 previously described. within the bearing sleeve 58 is a gear sleeve i2 carrying a gear 13 which gear sleeve is keyed to the lower end of the cam drum 59 by a key 14. Through this means a differential driving action will be set up between the cam structure 59 and the seaming roll mechanism whereby while the cam and seaming head are both rotating a seaming action will be taking place to cause the seaming rolls l8 and I9 to move in and out with relation to the can and form the seam.

The driving mechanism for the gears 25 and I3 comprise gears 14 and 15 respectively. These gears are mounted upon a jack shaft 16 carried Extending downwardly in bearings I1 and I8. The upper end of the shaft 16 is provided with a mitre pinion IS in mesh with a gear 89 on the drive shaft I3. The gear 89 extends horizontally and is driven by suitable means, such as a pulley 82. A pinion 83 is mounted on the drive shaft I3 and is in mesh with a beveled gear as carried at the upper end of a timing shaft This shaft extends vertically and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seaming head. Its lower end 85 is rotatably supported in a journal 86 formed as a part of the bottom of the base Iii. Mounted upon the timing shaft 85 adjacent its lower end is a gear 87 which is in mesh with a gear 88 upon a shaft 89. The gear 88 is in turn in mesh with a gear carried upon a shaft 9|. Another shaft 9 I is fitted with a lifting member 92 engaged by lifting rollers 93 of an oscillating arm 94. The opposite end of this arm indicated at carries a roller 96 which engages a groove 97 in a disc cam 98. The cam is mounted on a shaft 99 disposed at right angles to the timing shaft 85 and is driven therefrom through gears I I39 and IE I. By this arrangement the chuck I5 upon which cans are deposited may be elevated in synchronism with the feeding action of the star wheel I6. Mounted upon the shaft 9| is also a cam 502 which is' keyed to the shaft and which is formed with a pair of diametrically opposite arcuate recesses I83 and IM. Disposed above the member I02 and extending diametrically across the cam in symmetrical relation to the recesses I03 and I04 are Geneva movement arms I05 and I86 at the ends of which rollers IE! and H18 are mounted. These rollers are adapted to cooperate 1 with a Maltese cam I09 which is rigidly mounted upon a shaft III) carrying the star wheel It. By this arrangement the star wheel Hi will be intermittently moved a predetermined increment of its rotation, here designed to be a one-fourth rotation so that the four pockets of the star wheel will be successively brought into alignment with the seaming station and a can delivered thereto. As has previously been stated the interchange of cams in the adjustment of rollers makes it possible to accommodate cans of various sizes and sectional configuration. It may also be necessary to accommodate cans of various heights. Heretofore it has been common practice to provide interchangeable heads or to radially rearrange the parts of the machine and the position of the seaming head to accommodate cans of various heights. In the present instances, however, means have been provided to insure direct adjustment of the parts without requiring their removal or that they be interchanged. This includes an adiusting shaft III which is threaded to receive a nut H2 passing to an adjusting wheel I I3. The nut is formed with an annular groove I I4 engaged by a finger I I5. The nut rests directly upon the upper face of the vertical upright II. The upper end of the shaft I I I is fastened to the transverse frame member I I6 of the frame structure 5i. The frame structure 5i and the upright I I are dovetailed to gether so that vertical adjustment of the structure I I and the head which is carried with it may be made by manipulation of the hand wheel I I3 and the nut I I2. The shaft 8585' is provided intermediate its ends with a splined coupling I I? which permits relative vertical movement of the member 5| with the upright II without interrupting the driving action. The member 5| may be set with relation to the upright II by adjustment of the set screws I23.

Adjacent the upper end of the shaft 85 a drum cam H8 having a cam groove H9 to receive a roller I20. The roller I20 is carried at the free end of a rocker arm I2I which is mounted upon a horizontally extending pivot I22. The opposite end of the rocker arm connects with the stripper rod 24 and causes this rod to reciprocate so that the can cap will be stripped from the upper chuck plate at the conclusion of a seaming operation, and in which event it might occur that the seaming rollers would work a portion of metal from the seam over the upper edge of the chuck which would without the aid of the stripper and the downward movement of the member 24 add difficulty to the automatic action of the machine and removal of the can from the seaming station in a continuous sequence of operation.

In operation of the present invention cans 23 with their associated caps are delivered to the lower chuck I5. It is to be understood that the caps may be supplied by any suitable mechanism and that it is not necessary to disclose this mechanism in connection with the present invention. The star wheel Iii is intermittently driven from the shaft 85 through gears 87, 88 and as, which last gear operates a shaft 9|. The shaft 9| continuously rotates and the rollers Hit of the arms I06 carried by this shaft will consecutively engage the radial slots of the Maltese cam I09. This will cause shaft I ii] to move one-fourth of a revolution during each engagement of the roller H18 with the groove of the cam I09 and will succes- 1 sively present can pockets i'i into register with a seaming station so that a can will be deposited on the lower chuck I5. When in this position the star wheel I5 will stand stationary and the cam 98 will cause the chuck lifting lever S l to swing upwardly in the direction of the arrow a as indicated in Fig. 3, so that its rollers 93 may engage the blcck 92 on the chuck shaft 9i and lift the chuck. This lifting movement will continue until the upper chuck plate 2i seats within the recessed top of the can cap 22. It will be understood that the upper chuck 2I does not rotate and that the can will thus be held in a fixed po sition between the upper and lower chucks and around which can the seaming rollers i8 and Iii may travel. The supporting structure 2'8 for the seaming rollers as driven through the sleeve 25 and the gear 26 from gear M will carry the two sets of rollers around the can and at the same time will cause the blocks 45 to move with the rollers since they are mounted in the slotted guideways 28. As the blocks move around the rotary axis of the seaming head they will move radially of their support due to the fact that the cam rollers 46 will be caused to travel along the cam track ll and will traverse a path of travel which will insure that the circumferential face of the seaming rollers will conform to and contact with the peripheral surface of the marginal flange of the can cap 22. As has been previously explained, the set of seaming rollers I8 will first contact the flange of the cap and perform the initial seaming operation which curls the flange of the cap and the flange of the mouth of the can into interlocked relation with each other and that following this operation the seaming rollers I9 will act upon the curled seam thus formed to compress the parts of the seam and hermetically seal the can. The sequence of operation of these two sets of rollers is controlled by the cam grooves 53 and 69 and the manner in which these cams are driven from gears 75 through gears 13 to the sleeve 55. It will be understood that due to the diiference in gear ratio between gears 14 and 26 and gears I5 and I3 the cylinder cam 59 will move r OL at a different rate of speed from the speed of rotation of the seaming head and that therefore this difference will cause an action of the cam rollers 6i and 10 which will move the levers 36 and 3'! appropriately to produce first and second seaming operations as the rollers BI and 'HJ follow the configuration of the cam grooves 60 and l I. The upward movement of the suspending levers 36 and 3! will act upon the toggle links 33 and 38 to move the set of seaming rollers associated therewith inwardly an appropriate distance to exert the desired pressure and curling action upon the flange of the cap and the can. This operation may be readily adjusted by manipulation of the shackle bolt 43 to move the fulcrum pins 39 horizontally and to thereby determine the amount of action to be performed by the seaming rollers. At the conclusion of the seaming operation as performed by both sets of seaming rollers the shaft 89 will operate through the cam 98 to lower the supporting chuck l which should in turn lower the seamed can resting thereupon. In order to insure that this does take place the stripper rod 24 is moved downwardly to a lever 825 associated therewith and which in turn is actuated by a suitable cam I H).

In the event that the machine is to be used with cans of another heighth and shape than that for which the machine has been adjusted it is possible to'readily readjust the machine by loosening the set screws I23 and then manipulating the hand wheel I 13 to raise or lower the entire head of the machine appropriately. If different sizes or shapes of cans are to be seamed the track cam structure 48 may be removed and another substituted therefor which will insure that the seaming rollers 18 and I9 will properly conform to the perimeter of the flange of the particular cap being seamed.

It will thus be seen that the machine here disclosed makes it possible to readily accommodate cans of various heighths and sizes and to rapidly double seam the can and cap together by a complete automatic operation and at high speed.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A double seaming machine for non-circular cans comprising a pair of chucks between which a can and its cap may be held, a pair of double seaming rol ers designed to act upon diametrically opposite sides of the can, a pair of double seaming rollers designed to operate upon diametrically opposite sides of the can at right angles to the first mentioned set of seaming rollers, ineans supporting said rollers to cause them to move in a plane around the longitudinal axis of the can, said means providing for independent radial movement of the rollers with re ation to said axis, means for causing said rollers to be moved radially in said plane to cause them to contact with and move along the marginal edge of the can cap to be seamed including a single readily removable and interchangeable cam member, and roller blocks coacting with said cam member and having toggle connections with the seaming rollers, and separate means acting in cooperation with said toggle connections to move said rollers radially in said plane to cause said rollers to exert a desired pressure against the marginal flange of the cap and to thereby form a double seam between the can and its cap.

2. A seaming head for non-circular double seaming machines, which comprises an upper chuck adapted to fit in the recessed top of a can cap to be seamed, a rotary spindle disposed in longitudinal alignment with the central axis of said cap and a can to which it is applied, a seaming head supporting structure carried by said rotary spindle and adapted to revolve around said axis, a cylinder cam disposed to rotate around the axis of the rotary spindle, driving means for the spindle and driving means operating at a different speed from that of the spindle for the cylinder cam whereby said spindle and cam will simultaneously rotate around the same axis at different rates of speed, roller supporting blocks slidably mounted upon said seaming head supporting structure and adapted to move in a common plane and radially of the axis thereof, a seaming roller carried by each of said blocks, cam blocks one slidably associated with each of said seaming roller blocks, cam rollers one for each of the cam blocks, a cam fixed in an encircling position around the axis of the seaming head and carrying a track along which said cam rollers move and by which the respective cam blocks are shifted radially of the axis of the seaming head, link members articulately connected, a cam block with a roller supporting block whereby radial movement of a cam block will produce radial movement of a corresponding roller supporting block and will cause the rollers to conform to the flange of a can cap being seamed thereby, and means actuated by said cylinder cam whereby an additional movement is imposed upon. the links connecting each cam block and the supporting roller block to increase the movement of a supporting roller block with relation to the movement of the corresponding cam block to form and complete a seam between the aforesaid can and cap.

3. A double seaming machine for non-circular cans comprising a pair of chucks between which a can and its cap may be held, a pair of double seaming rollers designed to act upon diametrically opposite sides of the can, a pair of double seaming rollers designed to operate upon diametrically opposite sides of the can at right angles to the first mentioned set of seaming rollers, means supporting said rollers to cause them to move in a plane around the longitudinal axis of the can and providing for independent radial movement of the rollers with relation to said axis, means for causing said rollers to be positively moved radially in a plane to cause them to contact with and move along the marginal edge of the can cap to be seamed including a single cam member attached to the head and roller blocks coacting with said cam member and having toggle connections with the seaming rollers, and cam controlled suspending arms in conjunction with and controlling said toggle connections to move said rollers relative to the roller blocks radially in their plane of movement whereby to cause the rollers to exert a desired pressure against the marginal flange of the cap.

4. A can double seaming machine comprising a base, an upright carried by the base, can feeding and supporting means associated with and upstanding from the base, a double seaming head having a drive mechanism, a housing member depending from the head and having a vertically sliding connection with the said upright, a shaft connecting the drive mechanism of the head with the can supporting means of the base to insure their synchronism in operation, said shaft extending through the housing member of the head and in sections having a splined coupling, and means depending from the head and having movable connection with and supported upon said upright for adjusting the housing member vertically with respect to the upright to thus accommodate cans of different heights between the can supporting means of the base and the seaming head.

5. A can double seaming machine comprising a base, a rigid upright carried by the base and having a vertically extending guide way there along, a housing structure interlocking with said guide way and vertically slidable with relation thereto, a can double seaming head supported by the housing structure, a can receiving member mounted with relation to the base, power means carried by the housing structure to drive the seaming head and to operate the can support, extensible power transmission means from the power means to the can supporting means within the base, and adjustable means for setting the housing structure with relation to the upright whereby cans of different heights may be accommodated.

6. A can double seaming machine comprising a base, a rigid upright carried by the base and having a vertically extending guide way therealon a housing structure interlocking with said guide way and vertically slidable with relation thereto, a can double seaming head supported by the housing structure, a can receiving member mounted with relation to the base, power means carried by the housing structure to drive the seaming head and to operate the can support, extensible power transmission means from the power means to the can supporting means within the base, and adjustable means for setting the housing structure with relation to the upright whereby cans of different heights may be accommodated, said adjusting means comprising a threaded shaft extending downwardly from an overhanging portion of the housing structure and into a bearing of the upright and carrying an operating nut acting against the upright to advance and retract the threaded shaft as it rotates.

'7. A can double seaming machine comprising a base, a rigid upright fastened thereto and extending vertically from the upper face thereof, said upright being formed with a vertical guide way, a housing structure having a portion interengaging with the guide Way whereby the housing structure may slide vertically with relation thereto, said housing structure having overhanging parts at its upper end, a double seaming head carried by one of said overhanging parts and normally terminating in a horizontal plane lower than the upper end of the guide way, a threaded shaft extending downwardly from the other overhanging portion of the housing structure and into an opening of the upright, and an adjusting nut by which said threaded shaft may be vertically adjusted to cause the housing structure with the seaming head to be raised and lowered to accommodate cans of different heights.

8. A can double seaming machine comprising a base, a rigid upright fastened thereto and extending vertically from the upper face thereof, said upright being formed with a vertical guide way, a housing structure having a portion interengaging with the guide way whereby the housing structure may slide vertically with relation thereto, said housing structure having overhanging parts at its upper end, a double seaming head carried by one of said overhanging parts and normally terminating in a horizontal plane lower than the upper end of the guide way, a threaded shaft extending downwardly from the other overhanging portion of the housing structure and into an opening of the upright, an adjusting nut by which said threaded shaft may be vertically adjusted to cause the housing structure with the seaming head to be raised and lowered to accommodate cans of different heights, driving "meanscarried in the housing structure, driven means carried in the base, and an extensible shaft connecting driving and driven means whereby power will be transmitted irrespective of the adjustment of the housing structure with relation to the upright and the base. I v

' 9. In a can double seaming machine for noncircul'ar cans a double seaming head comprising a driving sleeve, means driving the same at a predetermined rate of speed, a plate carried at the lower end thereof and being formed with four radial ways spaced equidistant around the axis thereof, a roller block radially slidable in each of said ways, a' seaming roller carried adjacent the inner ends ofeach of saidblocks, a cam block slidably mounted within each of the roller blocks for radial movement, a fixed cam having a configuration substantially agreeing in shape with that of the perimeter of the can to be seamed, acam carried by each of said cam blocks and adapted to travel along said fixed cam, pairs of toggle links, one pair being interposed between the complementary cam block and roller block whereby said complementary blocks may move radially in unison as travelling around the radial axis of the seaming head, a sleeve cam through which the driving sleeve extends, said cam being formed with cam grooves in its outer face, rollers in said cam grooves, levers pivotally mounted to carry the rollers and to move with the seaming head as'it rotates, and connections between the lower ends of said levers and the intermediate pivot of the toggle links whereby movement of the levers as produced by the rollers in the grooves of the sleeve cam will act to move the elements of the corresponding toggle links to impart an additional movement to the roller blocks than that imparted by movement of the complementary cam block.

10. In a can double seaming machine for noncircular cans a double seaming head comprising a driving sleeve, means driving the same at a predetermined rate of speed, a plate carried at the lower end thereof and being formed with four radial ways spaced equidistant around the axis thereof, a roller block radially slidable in each of said ways, a seaming roller carried adjacent the inner ends of each of said blocks, a cam block slidably mounted within each of the roller blocks for radial movement, a fixed cam having a configuration substantially agreeing in shape with that of the perimeter of the can to be seamed, a cam carried by each of said cam blocks and adapted to travel along said fixed cam, pairs of toggle links, one pair being interposed between the complementary cam block and roller block whereby said complementary blocks may move radially in unisonas travelling around the radial axis of the seaming head, a sleeve cam through which the driving sleeve extends, said cam being formed with cam grooves in its outer face, rollers in said cam grooves, levers pivotally mounted to carry the rollers and to move with the seaming head as it rotates, connections'between the lower ends of said levers and the intermediate pivot of the toggle links whereby movement of the levers as produced by the rollers in the grooves of the sleeve cam will act to move the elements of the corresponding toggle links to impart an additional movement to the roller blocks than that imparted by movement of the complementary cam block, and separate means for driving the cam sleeve at a rate of speed differential to that of the driving sleeve of the seaming head whereby the mechanism effected by the rotary sleeve cam and the fixed guide cam Willact in cooperation to cause the seaming rollers to follow the contour of the mouth of the canand to perform a seaming operation between the non-circular can and its cap.

11. In a can double seaming machine for non- I jacent :the inner ends of each of said blocks, a

camblock slidably mounted within each of the roller-blocks for radial movement, a fixed cam having a configuration substantially agreeing in shape with that of the perimeter of the can to be seamed, a cam carried by each of said cam blocks and adapted to travel along said fixed cam, pairs of togglelinks, one pairbeing interposed between the complementary cam block and roller blockwhereby said complementary blocks may move radially in unison as travelling around the radial axis of the seaming head, a sleeve cam through which the driving sleeve extends, said cam being formed with cam grooves in its outer face, rollers in said cam grooves, levers pivotally mounted to carry the rollers and to move with the seaming head as it rotates, connections between the lower ends of said levers and the intermediate pivot of the toggle links whereby movement of the levers as produced by the rollers in the grooves of the sleeve cam will act to move the elements of the corresponding toggle links to impart an additional movement to the roller blocks than that imparted by movement of the complementary cam block, separate means for .driving the cam sleeve at a rate of speed differential to that of the driving sleeve of the seaming head whereby the mechanism effected by the rotary sleeve cam and the fixed guide cam-will act in cooperation to cause the seaming rollers to follow the contour of the mouth of the can and to perform a seaming operation between the non-circular can and its cap, and means for individually adjusting pairs of toggle links with relation to the complementary cam and roller blocks whereby the action of the seaming rollers Will be varied.

HENRY L. GUENTHER. 

